Madrid Timeline of Events

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Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third largest in the European Union after London and Paris...

Timeline of Events

1584

9.13.1584

San Lorenzo del Escorial Palace in Madrid is finished.

1605

1.16.1605

The first edition of ''El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha'' (Book One of ''Don Quixote'') by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid.

1738

4.18.1738

''Real Academia de la Historia'' ("Royal Academy of History") founded in Madrid.

1808

5.2.1808

Outbreak of the Peninsular War: The people of Madrid rise up in rebellion against French occupation. Francisco de Goya later memorializes this event in his painting The Second of May 1808.

5.3.1808

Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are fired upon near Príncipe Pío hill.

1921

3.8.1921

Spanish Premier Eduardo Dato Iradier is assassinated while exiting the parliament building in Madrid.

1939

3.28.1939

Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid.

1973

12.20.1973

The Spanish Prime Minister, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, is assassinated by a car bomb attack in Madrid.

1999

12.21.1999

The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid.

2003

12.24.2003

The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station.

2004

3.11.2004

Madrid train bombings: Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid, Spain, kill 191 people.

4.2.2004

Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid. Their attack is thwarted.

2008

8.20.2008

Spanair Flight 5022, from Madrid to Gran Canaria, skids off the runway and crashes at Barajas Airport. 146 people are killed in the crash, and 8 more die later. Only 18 people survive.